Render

Chapter 9

"I hope you'll excuse the mess," Dwight said. "I got your friend's message late, so I didn't have much time to clean."

"I'm used to living in messy rooms," I said. "You're fine."

After getting off the bus, we walked down a quiet sidewalk. Trees were overgrown in lush, green arches. The smell of dusty heat caught in the soft wind that decided to race down the lonely street. There were few cars in sight. The road itself didn't seem like it was asphalt but a thick layer of gravel. Guess government funding didn't apply here.

There was almost a serenity to it though. We were far from the bustling sounds of traffic and people. The sun was setting, splashing colors in the sky. Birds were chirping. A mockingbird few overhead and landed in a branch above us, curious about the newcomer that was me. I whistled at it, and it responded in kind. I saw a couple of groundhogs run across the road to a couple of holes in the ground.

"This way," he said, cutting off the sidewalk onto a dirt road.

"You made a place far away from people," I said. "It's pretty out here."

"People and pollution can be suffocating," he said. "I chose to live here for the peace and safety."

During the walk, I could hear a small whirring sound. I looked around and pinpointed a small camera attached to a tree.

"Can't be too careful, I guess," I said.

"Early warning system," he said. "I prefer to be cautious. The only people that should be coming through here is my grocery delivery and any equipment I order online. My phone is already going off from seeing us, so if your friends really do show up, I'll be able to see them."

"They shouldn't," I said.

"I still can't believe I'm doing this."

"You and me both."

Finally, after a few minutes and a couple of curves, a house came into sight. It was old and overgrown. White paint peeled off of the walls in chunks. Vines overgrew a couple of sides, covering a window. Bushes had grown taller than the door, which was a few steps up on a tiny front porch.

"You ever thought about hiring a gardener?"

"As long as the house is structurally sound, the plant life isn't a bother to me."

"It looks old enough to have asbestos and lead paint."

The steps creaked, like I predicted, and the porch bowed inward. He took out his keys and unlocked the door.

"Lock it behind you," he said. "All of them."

He had a series of six different locks on his front door. I did as I was told.

"Isn't that going to be ineffective on an old door?"

"The door is steel. I painted it to look like the rest of the house."

"Wow. I wouldn't have guessed that."

"Everything about his house is supposed to look old. People usually expect big, shiny mansions with high tech security systems and guard dogs. My guard dog is a corgi, and he lives inside."

As if on cue, a small brown and white dog hopped up his leg. He scratched behind the dog's ears.

"He doesn't bite," Dwight said.

I knelt down and let the dog sniff my hand. Seeing as I wasn't a threat, it nuzzled my hand. I gave it a back scratch.

"Aw, what's his name?"

"Chip."

"Hey, Chip."

His tongue lolled out from the scratching.